siken no mae ni, nooto wo minaosimasu.

I review my notebook before the exam.

Breakdown of siken no mae ni, nooto wo minaosimasu.

• を: direct object particle
• の: possessive case particle
• に: time particle
• 試験しけん: exam
• 前まえ: before
• ノート: notebook
• 見み直なおす: to review

Questions & Answers about siken no mae ni, nooto wo minaosimasu.

What does の do in 試験の前に?

の here links two nouns: 試験 (exam) and 前 (before/in front).

• 試験の前 literally = the time/point that is before the exam
• Pattern: Noun + の + 前 → “before [noun]” (in time)

So の is like saying “the before of the exam,” which in natural English is just “before the exam.”

Why do we need に after 前 (前に)?

に marks a point in time (or space).

• 前 = “before” (as a noun-like word)
• 前に = “at the time before ~” / “before ~ (at that point in time)”

In time expressions, に is standard when you treat something as a specific time:

• 3時に – at 3 o’clock
• 試験の前に – before the exam (at the time previous to the exam)

So 前 is like a “time word,” and に marks it as the time when the action happens.

Can I say 試験前に instead of 試験の前に?

Yes, 試験前に is also used and understood.

• 試験の前に – more “normal” conversational style
• 試験前に – more compact, often seen in writing, notices, headings, etc.

Nuance:

• In everyday speech: 試験の前に sounds more natural.
• In written Japanese (signs, timetables, manuals): 試験前に appears often, e.g.
  試験前に確認してください。 – Please check before the exam.

Grammatically both are fine; it’s mainly style and formality/compactness.

Where is the subject “I” in this sentence?

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context.

• Literal structure: [ (I) ] 試験の前に、ノートを見直します。
• In English we must say I review or I will review, but in Japanese 私は is often dropped.

You only add 私(は) (or another subject) when you need to emphasize or clarify who is doing it:

• 私は試験の前にノートを見直します。 – I (as opposed to others) review my notes before the exam.

What exactly does 見直します mean here? Why not just 見ます or 勉強します?

見直す is a compound verb:

• 見る – to look, see
• 直す – to fix, correct

Together 見直す means:

1. To look over again / review (especially to check, correct, or reinforce understanding)
2. To re-evaluate / reconsider (e.g. your opinion, a plan)

In this sentence:

• ノートを見直します。 = “I will go over/review my notes (again), checking them.”

If you said:

• ノートを見ます。 – I look at my notebook / I will look at my notebook. (neutral “look”)
• ノートで勉強します。 – I study (using) my notes.

見直す specifically highlights the idea of reviewing what you already studied.

Does 見直す only mean “review notes,” or can it be used in other ways?

It has broader uses. Common meanings:

1. To review/check again

   • 答案を見直す – review/check your test answers
   • レポートを見直す – review your report

2. To re-evaluate / think better of something or someone

   • 彼を見直した。 – I’ve revised my opinion of him (I think better of him now).
   • 計画を見直す必要がある。 – We need to review/revise the plan.

So in ノートを見直します, it’s “review,” “go over again,” “check.”

Why is 見直します in the present polite form, but the English translation is “will review”?

Japanese non-past (見直す / 見直します) covers both:

• simple present: “review(s)”
• future: “will review”

Which nuance it has depends on context. Here, 試験の前に (before the exam) implies a future action:

• 試験の前に、ノートを見直します。
  → “I will review my notes before the exam.”

If context were “what do you usually do before tests?”, it could be “I (always) review my notes before exams.”

What does ノート mean? Is it only “notebook”?

ノート (a loanword from English “note”) commonly means:

1. A notebook (physical book of lined pages used for class)

   • ノートを買う – buy a notebook

2. The notes written in that notebook

   • ノートを見直す – review your notes

It usually does not mean “laptop” in Japanese. For a laptop, the word is:

• ノートパソコン – notebook PC / laptop

What is the role of the particle を in ノートを見直します?

を marks the direct object of a verb.

• ノート – notebook / notes
• ノートを見直します。 – (I) will review the notes.

Pattern:

• [Object] + を + [Verb]
  
  • 本を読む – read a book
  • 映画を見る – watch a movie
  • ノートを見直す – review notes

So を shows what is being reviewed.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say ノートを試験の前に見直します?

Yes, Japanese word order is relatively flexible as long as the verb is at the end.

These are all grammatical and natural:

• 試験の前に、ノートを見直します。
• ノートを試験の前に見直します。
• 試験の前にノートを見直します。 (without the comma)

Nuance:

• Putting 試験の前に at the beginning emphasizes when you do it.
• Putting ノートを right after the topic/subject can emphasize what you review.

But all basically mean the same thing.

Does 前に always mean “before (in time)” or can it also mean “in front of (place)”?

前(まえ) by itself can mean:

1. Before (time)
2. In front of (place)

With に, it can be time or location, depending on context:

• Time:

  • 試験の前にノートを見直します。 – review notes before the exam.

• Location:

  • 駅の前に立っています。 – I’m standing in front of the station.

How to tell the meaning? You rely on context and on the type of verb:

• If it’s an action anchored in time (勉強する, 行く, 食べる), 前に is usually temporal “before”.
• If it’s about location (いる, 座る, 立つ in a spatial sense), 前に is usually spatial “in front of”.

How can I say “before doing the exam” instead of “before the exam (noun)”?

Use the pattern:

• Dictionary-form verb + 前に = before doing X

For example:

• 試験を受ける前に、ノートを見直します。
  – Before I take the exam, I review my notes.

General pattern:

• 食べる前に、手を洗います。 – Before eating, I wash my hands.
• 寝る前に、本を読みます。 – I read a book before going to bed.

So you can switch between:

• Noun + の前に → 試験の前に
• Verb-dictionary + 前に → 試験を受ける前に

What level of politeness is 見直します? When would I use 見直す instead?

• 見直します – polite non-past form (ます-form)
• 見直す – plain non-past form (dictionary form)

Use 見直します:

• With teachers, bosses, customers
• In formal or neutral polite conversation
• In most textbook example sentences

Use 見直す:

• With close friends or family (casual speech)
• In inner monologue, diaries, and dictionary entries
• When the sentence is embedded inside another (sometimes), e.g.
  
  • 試験の前にノートを見直すのは大事です。 – It’s important to review your notes before the exam.

So your sentence is polite and appropriate for talking to a teacher or classmate in a normal/formal context.